void the election of Abia state governor Okezie Ikpeazu and has
ordered him to vacate office with immediate effect. While issuing a
certificate of return to Samson Ogah a member of PDP who contested the
post with the governor.
The court found Mr Ikpeazu guilty of tax evasion for two years.
And now the court has passed the judgement, ordering him to hand over
immediately Mr Ogah, who came second during the PDP party primaries.
A couple of members of the Peoples Democratic Party had alledged
in 2014 that Mr. Ikpeazu failed to pay his personal income tax within
the period of 2010 and 2011 and this is contrary to the section 24 of
the 1999 constitution as amended which states that "...Every citizen
must as a duty declare his income to the lawful and proper agencies
and also pay his tax promptly". In a suit in November 2014, two
members of the party Obasi Eke and Chukwuemeka Mba had asked PDP and
INEC to disqualify Mr.Ikpeazu, a gubernatorial contestant from
contesting the elections in 2014. The suit was backed by the Federal
High Court in Abuja.
The plaintiff further requested that the court should declare the
governor unfit to contest the elections. Standing on Section 24(f) of
the 1999 constitution as amended and also Paragraph 13 of part IV of
the INEC electoral guidelines for primaries. The also insisted that
the court ban PDP from presenting Ikpeazu as their gubernatorial
candidate for the elections. They didn't stop, the went further
requesting the court to ban INEC from accepting Ikpeazu as a candidate
and also the PDP candidate who polled second during the party
primaries should be declared the right candidate for the main
governorship polls.
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